Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University's cross-country teams are set to compete in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Championship on Friday, November 1, at Pheasant Ridge in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The event will feature a women's 6K race starting at 11:00 a.m., followed by the men's 8K race at noon.

The men's team includes five runners: freshmen Ben Chance and Will Foltz, junior Westen Jokerst, senior Ben Morgan, and graduate student Uriah Guthrie. On the women's side, eight runners will participate: freshmen Kyla Engel and Riley Linville, sophomores Brodie Denny and Hannah Meiser, junior Audrey Boles, senior Brianna Nieset, and graduate students Britany Ziemer and Hannah Eastman.

Ziemer and Eastman have limited their participation this season due to medical school commitments. Eastman competed at the SEMO RedHawks XC Invite, securing second place with a time of 18:04.50 in the 5K race. Ziemer ran in the Bradley Pink Classic, finishing 182nd with a time of 22:57.68 in the 6K race.

The Salukis aim to build on their performance from the Bradley Pink Classic held on October 18. Junior Weston Jokerst was the standout performer for the men's team with a time of 25:18.82 in the 8K race, placing him in 129th position. Sophomore Hannah Meiser led the women's team by finishing in 63rd place with a time of 21:30.69 in her event.

For live results of the races or further updates on Southern Illinois University's cross-country program, follow them on social media platforms X (@SIUTrackXC), Instagram (@SIUTrackXC), and Facebook (@SalukiTrackAndField).